Annette Hurley (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. Can the minister confirm that her department is investigating allegations that Filipino welders on 457 visas in Brisbane were intimidated and underpaid? Doesn’t this new case join a range of other disturbing cases, including: the use of unskilled labour at T&R meatworks; the underpayment of labour at ABC Tissues; the forced removal of the pregnant wife of a worker; the underpayment of Mr Zhang, the printer; and the sacking of Mr Fu, who had been injured at work? Aren’t these all cases of alleged abuse of the 457 scheme which have been directly raised with the minister, which she has promised to investigate and yet has so far failed to report back on? Given that the minister has said, if questioned about cases of abuse under the 457 scheme, ‘I will make clear what the answer is. I do not think that should be hidden from anybody,’ when will she actually report on the findings of her investigation and what action was taken to enforce the act?